• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.24 no.4 s.175
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• pp.830-838
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• 2000

The paper addresses an application of molecular dynamics technique for fracture mechanics. Molecular dynamics simulation is an atomistic approach, while typical numerical methods such as finite element methods are macroscopic. Using the potential functions, which express the energy of a molecular system, a virtual specimen with molecules is set up and the trajectory of every molecule can be calculated by Newton's equation of motion. Several three-dimensional models with various types of cracks are considered. The stress intensity factors, the sizes of plastic zone as well as the dislocation emission are sought to be compared with the analytical solutions, which result in good agreement.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.527-533
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• 2000

It is investigated that the characteristics of rotating cantilevered composite beam with a breathing crack. In the present study, the crack is modeled as a breathing crack which opens and closes with the motion of the unidirectional graphite-fiber reinforced polyimide beam. For the finite element analysis, the cracked element is modelled by the local flexibility matrix calculated on the basis of fracture mechanics using Castiligano theorem. Rotating beam is considered only transverse bending motion so that the element includes two degrees of freedom per node such as the transverse deflection and slope. The time history and frequency response function of the beam with a breathing crack are studied by Newmark direct time integration method and FFT(Fast Fourier Transform)simulation. Effects of various parameters such as the crack depths, crack locations, ply angles, volume fraction ratios, and rotating speeds of the beam are also studied. Numerical results indicate that it is more reliable to be modelled as a breathing crack than an open crack.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.7 no.6
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• pp.575-588
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• 1999

A boundary element method is applied to the analysis of crack trajectory in materials with complex microstructure, such as discontinuously reinforced composite materials, and systems subjected to complex loading, such as indentation. The path followed by the crack(s) has non-trivial geometry. A study of the stress intensity factors and fracture toughness of such systems must therefore be accompanied by an analysis of crack trajectory. The simulation is achieved using a dual boundary integral method in planar problems, and a single boundary integral method coupled with substructuring in axisymmetric problems. The direction of crack propagation is determined using the maximum mechanical energy release rate criterion. The method is demonstrated by application to (i) a composite material composed of components having the elastic properties of aluminium (matrix) and silicon carbide (reinforcement), and (ii) analysis of contact damage induced by the action of an indenter on brittle materials. The chief advantage of the method is the ease with which problems having complex geometry or loading (giving rise to complex crack trajectories) can be treated.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.87 no.3
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• pp.243-254
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• 2023

Engineering structures usually suffer from cracks. The crack geometry has an influence on the structural mechanical properties and subsequent crack propagations. However, as an extensively utilized method in fracture analysis, the extended finite element method provided by Abaqus fails to output the specific location and dimensions of fractures. In this study, a technique to capture the crack geometry is proposed. The technique is based on the invariant level set method (I-LSM), which can avoid updating the level set function during crack development. The solution is achieved by an open-source plug-in programmed by Python. Three examples were performed to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the program. The result shows that the developed program can accurately output the crack geometry in both the 2D and 3D models. The open-source plug-in codes are included as supplementary material.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.207-222
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• 2019

This paper has presented an effective and accurate meso-scale finite element model for simulating the fracture process of concrete under compression-shear loading. In the proposed model, concrete is parted into four important phases: aggregates, cement matrix, interfacial transition zone (ITZ), and the initial defects. Aggregate particles were modelled as randomly distributed polygons with a varying size according to the sieve curve developed by Fuller and Thompson. With regard to initial defects, only voids are considered. Cohesive elements with zero thickness are inserted into the initial mesh of cement matrix and along the interface between aggregate and cement matrix to simulate the cracking process of concrete. The constitutive model provided by ABAQUS is modified based on Wang's experiment and used to describe the failure behaviour of cohesive elements. User defined programs for aggregate delivery, cohesive element insertion and modified facture constitutive model are developed based on Python language, and embedded into the commercial FEM package ABAQUS. The effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed model are firstly identified by comparing the numerical results with the experimental ones, and then it is used to investigate the effect of meso-structure on the macro behavior of concrete. The shear strength of concrete under different pressures is also involved in this study, which could provide a reference for the macroscopic simulation of concrete component under shear force.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.219-230
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• 2022

The Geo-Reservoir Experimental Analogue Technology (GREAT) cell was designed to recreate the thermal-hydro-mechanical conditions of deep subsurface in the laboratory. This apparatus can generate a polyaxial stress field using lateral loading elements, which rotate around the longitudinal axis of a sample and is capable of performing a fluid flow test for samples containing fractures. In the present study, numerical simulations were carried out for triaxial compression tests using the GREAT cell and the mechanical behavior of samples under different conditions of lateral loading was investigated. We simulated an actual case, in which triaxial compression tests were conducted for a polymer sample without fractures, and compared the results between the numerical analysis and experiment. The surface strain (circumferential strain) of the sample was analyzed for equal and non-equal horizontal confining pressures. The results of the comparison showed a good consistency. Additionally, for synthetic cases with a fracture, we investigated the effect of the friction and type of fracture surface on the deformation behavior.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.471-477
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• 2015

In this study, the property of crack propagation and growth at high tension steel plate existed with center crack is investigated. The behaviors of fracture mechanics due to existence or not of hole near the center crack in specimen and the length of crack length are investigated when the load is applied at the one side end of specimen. Stress, deformation and deformation of this specimen are evaluated through simulation analysis. By the analysis results at this study, stress intensity factors are obtained. The damage happened at machine or structure with crack or defect can be estimated on the basis of study results.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.239-255
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• 2020

Experimental and discrete element method were used to investigate the effects of joint number and its angularities on the shear behaviour of joint's bridge area. A new shear test condition was used to model the gypsum cracks under shear loading. Gypsum samples with dimension of 120 mm×100 mm×50 mm were prepared. the length of joints was 2cm. in experimental tests, the joint number is 1, 2 and 3 and its angularities change from 0° to 90° with increment of 45°. Assuming a plane strain condition, special rectangular models are prepared with dimension of 120 mm×100 mm. similar to joints configuration in experimental test, 9 models with different joint number and joint angularities were prepared. This testing show that the failure process is mostly governed by the joint number and joint angularities. The shear strengths of the specimens are related to the fracture pattern and failure mechanism of the discontinuities. The shear behaviour of discontinuities is related to the number of induced tensile cracks which are increased by increasing the rock bridge length. The strength of samples decreases by increasing the joint number and joint angularities. Failure pattern and failure strength are similar in both of the experimental test and numerical simulation.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.84-92
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• 2001

The development of a crack propagation simulation model in consideration of crack closure behavior was discussed in the accompanying paper by the authors, Kim et al(2001). To verify crack propagation behavior under variable amplitude loading based on the model, calculations of effective crack driving stresses and corresponding propagation lives are carried out for load spectrums with various stress ratios, overload and underload. Good agreement is confirmed between test results in the literatures and simulations using the developed model.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.197-213
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• 2019

We simulated the fault reactivation experiment conducted at 'Main Fault' intersecting the low permeability clay formations of Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory in Switzerland using TOUGH-FLAC simulator. The fluid flow along a fault was modelled with solid elements and governed by Darcy's law with the cubic law in TOUGH2, whereas the mechanical behavior of a single fault was represented by creating interface elements between two separating rock blocks in FLAC3D. We formulate the hydro-mechanical coupling relation of hydraulic aperture to consider the elastic fracture opening and failure-induced dilation for reproducing the abrupt changes in injection flow rate and monitoring pressure at fracture opening pressure. A parametric study was conducted to examine the effects of in-situ stress condition and fault deformation and strength parameters and to find the optimal parameter set to reproduce the field observations. In the best matching simulation, the fracture opening pressure and variations of injection flow rate and monitoring pressure showed good agreement with field experiment results, which suggests the capability of the numerical model to reasonably capture the fracture opening and propagation process. The model overestimated the fault displacement in shear direction and the range of reactivated zone, which was attributed to the progressive shear failures along the fault at high injection pressure. In the field experiment results, however, fracture tensile opening seems the dominant mechanism affecting the hydraulic aperture increase.